Payment indicator for a beverage cooler



June 9, 1964 F. R. TRULASKE 3,136,983

PAYMENT INDICATOR FOR A BEVERAGE COOLER Filed July 3. 1961 I6 20 27 i 1 2:7 46 50-p 26 37 35 32 I i L'/// 25 I i 3O o-H| FIG. I FIG. 2

INVENTOR FRANK R. TRULASKE ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,136,983 PAYMENT INDICATOR FOR A BEVERAGE COOLER Frank R. Trulaske, Grafton, Ill., assignor to True Manufacturing Company, Inc., St. Louis, Mo a corporation of Missouri Filed July 3, 1961, Ser. No. 121,456 3 Claims. (Cl. 340-220) This invention relates generally to improvements in a payment indicator for a beverage cooler, andmore particularly to an improved mechanism operable automatically upon removing a bottle cap for calling attention to the fact that a payment is required for a beverage taken from the cooler.

There are many kinds and types of beverage dispensers thattare operable by a coin-controlled mechanism. With these conventional units, a coin must be inserted first in order to actuate a mechanism to dispense a beverage bottle. Other types of coolers have a similar coincontrolled mechanism operable to unlock a door upon insertion of a coin in order to gain access to the interior of the cooler and to take a' beverage bottle. While all of these heretofore conventional units are foolproof in that they require a definite payment before a bottle can be removed, the cost of manufacturing a complicated bottle dispenser and the cost of using a precision made coin-actuated mechanism makes the price prohibitive for a device of this type in some circumstances.

In certain situations, as for example in some ofiices and business firms, it is just as well to use a beverage cooler that can be opened at any time to obtain a beverage bottle and rely on the innate honesty of persons to place a coin in a receptacle provided on the cooler in payment for a bottle taken from the cooler. Of course, this procedure and the type of cooler eliminates the necessity for the expensive structures and mechanisms mentioned previously and enables many firms to purchase and use beverage coolers which otherwise could not afford such units.

However, to remind persons using the cooler, it is an important object of the present invention to provide a simple indicating means operable automatically upon removing the cap from the bottle, such indicating means suggesting to the person opening the bottle that a payment should be made.

3 Another important object is achieved by the provision of a bottle opener that is hingedly mounted on the cooler body and movable between limits, an electrical circuit including a switch mounted on the body and engageable with the bottle opener, and an indicating means mounted on the body and selectively actuated by the switch upon hinged movement of the bottle opener to one limit incident to removing a bottle cap.

Other important advantages are realized by placing the indicating means and a coin slot immediately adjacent the bottle opener so that attention is called to both when utilizing the opener, thereby providing a more effective yet subtle reminder that a payment is needed.

An important object is afforded by the fact that the indicating means may take any one of a plurality of forms depending upon the conditions and fields of usage of the cooler. As for example, the indicating means may consist of a light bulb, chimes, bell,,buzzer, an electric sign or sound record activated by a switch upon hinged movement of the bottle opener.

Another important object is achieved by the particular structural arrangement of the bottle opener and its hinge mounting, and of the actuating switch relative to the hinged opener, so that the opener will hingedly swing inherently, as the bottle cap is inserted and the bottle is forcefully cocked to remove such cap, in a direction to activate the switch.

3,136,983 Patented June 9, 1964 ice Still another important object is realized by the provision of a resilient push button switch mounted on the cooler body in a position so thatthe button holds the hinged bottle opener innone limit in which the switch is deactivated, the push button being depressed by the bottle opener as it is swung to its other limit in which the switch a is activated.

It is an important objective to provide a payment indicator for a beverage cooler that is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture and assemble, highly efficient in operation, and which is automatically activated by a person upon the simple procedure of using the bottle opener to remove the cap from a beverage bottle. I p I The foregoing and numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will'more clearly appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodi ment, particularly when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of a cooler body, illustrating the payment indicating mechanism, and i p FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view as seen along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawing, and first to FIG. 1 it will be apparent that the present improvements constituting the invention are applied to a beverage cooler the body of which is generally indicated at 10. For convenience, only the upper left-hand corner of a representative cooler body 10 is illustrated. It will be realized that the particular placement of the invention on the cooler body 10can be varied, within the teaching and scope of the claims, to satisfy specific needs or desires in design. I t V I The cooler body '10 includes a front wall 11 constructed of a front panel 12 and an inside panel 13. The inside panel 13 partially defines the tank in which the beverages are stored and cooled. The front panel 12 and the inside panel 13 are spaced and separated by insulation 14. The insulation 14 is removed in FIG. 2 in order to show more clearly the'component parts contained in the front wall 11.

An opening 15 is provided in the front panel 12, the opening ISbeingde'fined'by a rectangular moulding 16 attached to such panel. 12. The opening 15 communicates with a compartment 17 in the front wall 11, such.

11 below the opening 15. The receptacle 23 is provided with a handle 24 to facilitate removal of the receptacle 23. As will become apparent upon subsequent detailed description of parts, the receptacle 23 is adapted to receive and retain bottle caps after they have been removed.

As is conventional, the receptacle 23 can be easily pulled out and emptied when desired. 3

The bottle opened includes a hinge plate 25 fastened to the rear compartment wall 21. A second hinge plate 26 is hingedly connected ot the top of the first hinge plate 25 to provide a substantially horizontal hinge axis 3 27 substantially at the top of the compartment 17. The second hinge plate 26 depends from the hinge axis 27 downwardly into the compartment 17 directly opposite the front opening 15,the second hinge plate 26 being swingable in the compartment 17 about the hinge axis 27. Attached to the second hinge plate 26 is a bottle opener plate generally indicated at 30. The opener plate30- consists of angularly related, integral plate portions 31 and 32. The plate portion 31 is placed flat against the second hinge plate 26 and is secured to the hinge plate 26 by a plurality (three in the embodiment disclosed) bolt and nut connections 33. The other plate portion 32 of the opener 30 extends outwardly and upwardly from the hinge plate 26.

An arcuate opening 34 is provided in the opener plate portion 32, the opening 34 being partially defined by an uppermost shoulder 35 and a spaced lowermost shoulder 36. The shoulders 35 and 36 are located on the same side of the hinge axis 27, yet the shoulder 36 is spaced further from such axis 27 than the cooperating shoulder 35.

When a bottle referred to at 37 is inserted through the opening 15 and into operative relation to the bottle opener, the shoulder 35 fits under the cap edge while the shoulder 36 bears on the cap top substantially mid way to provide a fulcrum about which the bottle cap moves as the shoulder 35 pries the cap from the bottle lip.

The payment-indicating mechanism includes an electrical circuit in which a switch 40 is mounted on the rear wall 21 of compartment 17 immediately behind the bottle opener. The switch 40 is actuated by a resiliently mounted push button 41 extending into the compartment 17 and into engagement with the rear of the second hinge plate 26. The button 21 holds the bottle opener in its one limit of movement, as is illustrated in FIG. 2. In this position, the push button 41 conditions the switch 40 to deactivate the electrical circuit. Upon forceful cocking action of the bottle 37 incident to removing the bottle cap, as will be explained subsequently, the bottle opener and hence the second hinge plate 26 swings rearwardly to its other limit so as to depress the push button 41 and thereby actuate switch 40.

A housing 42 is secured to the front panel 12 of the front body wall 11, the front end of such housing 42 being closed by a window 43. As is best seen, the window 43, constituting a part of the payment-indicating means, is located immediately adjacent and above the opening 15. Carried at the rear end of housing 42 is a light socket 44. A light bulb 45 is connected in the socket 44 and is adapted to shine through the window 43. The bulb 45, also constituting a part of the payment-indicating means, is connected into the electrical circuit by a pair of wires 46 extending between the switch 40 and the lamp base 44.

The payment-receiving means includes a coin slot 47 located in the front panel 12 immediately adjacent the lamp window 43, as is best seen in FIG. 1. The slot 47 communicates with a coin chute 50 suggested by dotted lines in FIG. 1. As is usual, the coin chute 50 leads to a collecting receptacle (not shown).

It is thought that the operation and functional result of the payment-indicator has become fully apparent from the foregoing detailed description of parts, but for completeness of disclosure, such operation and function will be briefly described with. respect to the disclosed embodiment.

A person desiring a beverage, opens the cooler door and removes the beverage bottle. Then, the bottle is inserted into the bottle-opening compartment 17 through the opening 15 in order to place the bottle cap into operative relation with respect to the bottle opener. As is usual, the shoulder 35 of the bottle opener is placed under one edge of the bottle cap, and the bottle 37 is cocked downwardly in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 2. This movement of the bottle 37 swings the hinge plate 26, together with the bottle opener plate 30 rearwardly in a counterclockwise direction as seen in FIG. 2, the hinge plate 26 depressing the switch button 41. As the switch 40 is activated by the button 41, the bulb 45 in the electrical circuit is lighted and is visible through the transparent window 43.

Of course, simultaneously upon activation of the payment-indicating mechanism, the bottle opener removes the bottle cap. Upon removal of the bottle cap, the cap falls free through the cap chute 22 and into the receptacle 23. As the bottle 37 is withdrawn from the compartment 17, after removal of the bottle cap, the hinge plate 26 together with the bottle opener plate 30 swings forwardly about the hinge axis 27 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 2 under the spring loading of the push button 41. The bottle opener is now reconditioned for subsequent use.

It will be realized that as the bottle cap is removed the bulb is lighted and indicates to the person utilizing the cooler that a payment is due for the beverage taken. Because the coin slot 47 is located immediately adjacent the window 43, attention is called directly to this fact. A coin is then inserted into the coin slot 47, whereupon the coin falls down the coin chute into a coin receptacle (not shown).

Instead of a light bulb 45, the payment-indicating means may consist of a chime, bell, buzzer, electrical sign or a sound record activated by the switch 40 upon hinged movement of the bottle opener.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed reference to a single preferred embodiment, such detail is to be understood in an instructive, rather than in any restrictive sense, many variants being possible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

I claim as my invention:

1. A payment indicator for a beverage cooler comprising a cooler body, a bottle opener, hinge means mounting said bottle opener to the body for swinging movement about a hinge axis between limits, the bottle opener including a cap-removing means having a first shoulder adapted to fit under the cap rim and a second shoulder adapted to bear on top of the cap, said first and second shoulders being located on one side of said hinge axis, said first shoulder being located closer to the hinge axis than the said second shoulder so that the capopening action causes hinged movement of the bottle opener to one limit, a switch mounted on said body and engageable with said bottle opener on the same side of the hinge axis as said shoulders so as to be actuated by the bottle opener upon hinged movement to said one limit, and an indicating means operatively connected to said switch and activated by said switch to indicate a payment due for a beverage bottle taken from the cooler as the bottle cap is removed.

2. A payment indicator for a beverage cooler comprising a cooler body, a bottle opener, hinge means mounting said bottle opener to the body for swinging movement between limits about a hinge axis, the bottle opener including a cap-removing means at one side of the hinge axis, the bottle opener being swung to one limit about said hinge axis incident to the removal of a bottle cap by a cooperating forceful cocking action of the bottle relative to the opener, an electrical circuit including a switch mounted on said body, said switch having a re silient button engaging the rear of said bottle opener at the same side of said hinge axis as the cap-removing means, said resilient button tending to hold the opener in the other limit in which the switch is deactivated, said bottle opener being hingedly movable to said one limit to depress the button against its resilient loading and to activate said switch upon removing a bottle cap by the action of forcefully cocking the bottle relative to the opener, and an indicating means mounted on said body and selectively activated by said switch to indicate a payment due for a bottle removed from the cooler.

3. A payment indicator for a beverage cooler comprising a cooler body, a bottle opener, hinge means mounting said bottle opener to the body for swinging movement between limits about a horizontal hinge axis, said bottle opener hanging free from said hinge axis, the bottle opener including a cap-removing means below the hinge axis, the cap-removing means having a first shoulder adapted to fit under the cap rim and a second shoulder adapted to bear on top of the cap, said first shoulder being located closer to the hinge axis than said second shoulder so that the cap opening action causes hinged movement of the bottle opener to one limit, means in said body immediately adjacent the bottle opener for receiving payment for a beverage bottle taken from the cooler, an electrical circuit including a switch mounted on said body, said switch having a resilient button engag ing the rear of said bottle opener below said hinge axis, the resilient button being depressed by said bottle opener upon hinged movement to said one limit so as to actutate said switch, a payment-indicating means located immediately adjacent both the bottle opener and payment-receiving means, said payment-indicating means being selectively activated by said switch upon hinged movement of the bottle opener to said one limit, the resilient button tending to urge said bottle opener hingedly to the other limit after the removal of the cap in which the switch is deactivated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A PAYMENT INDICATOR FOR A BEVERAGE COOLER COMPRISING A COOLER BODY, A BOTTLE OPENER, HINGE MEANS MOUNTING SAID BOTTLE OPENER TO THE BODY FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT ABOUT A HINGE AXIS BETWEEN LIMITS, THE BOTTLE OPENER INCLUDING A CAP-REMOVING MEANS HAVING A FIRST SHOULDER ADAPTED TO FIT UNDER THE CAP RIM AND A SECOND SHOULDER ADAPTED TO BEAR ON TOP OF THE CAP, SAID FIRST AND SECOND SHOULDERS BEING LOCATED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID HINGE AXIS, SAID FIRST SHOULDER BEING LOCATED CLOSER TO THE HINGE AXIS THAN THE SAID SECOND SHOULDER SO THAT THE CAPOPENING ACTION CAUSES HINGED MOVEMENT OF THE BOTTLE OPENER TO ONE LIMIT, A SWITCH MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID BOTTLE OPENER ON THE SAME SIDE OF THE HINGE AXIS AS SAID SHOULDERS SO AS TO BE ACTUATED BY THE BOTTLE OPENER UPON HINGED MOVEMENT TO SAID ONE LIMIT, AND AN INDICATING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID SWITCH AND ACTIVATED BY SAID SWITCH TO INDICATE A PAYMENT DUE FOR A BEVERAGE BOTTLE TAKEN FROM THE COOLER AS THE BOTTLE CAP IS REMOVED. 